Will you marry me?
by Eulaliawriter
Summary: Effie and Haymitch meet for a date at the restourant after years, and finally our grumpy, silly man will manage to show her his real feelings.
"Would you mind …" his cheeks were red and if she'd have focused on his hands, she would have noticed that they were slightly shaking, but that was just because he was a bit nervous about their date.

Actually, neither she was feeling completely relaxed, but they both knew that it was alright, because none of them had had a date for a very long time.

"Oh, thank you … You're so kind …" Effie let him pour some wine in her flute, and then they both put their glasses up in the air, making them clink.  
The whole thing was a bit awkward and most of the time they just stared at each other without saying a word, but Haymitch was trying his best to make her feel comfortable, even if she was far away from her safe home; he had thought about that met for months, before actually asking her out, but finally he had done it: he was wearing his best suit and she was more beautiful than every other women in the room, but they were simply unable to spell a word.

It took her a long time to open her mouth, but she knew that he wouldn't have done it for first.

"How are you doing, Haymitch?".

Her voice was soft and her words were almost whispers, but he immediately realised that he was missing it.

"I … I am fine. I mean … I am OK. And you?".

For the first time he put his eyes in hers, and noticed that she was probably about to crying.

He stood up, leaving his plate on the table, and went next to her, offering Effie a hand to help her stand up, then he guided her on the balcony, where no one could hear or see them.

The sky was cloudy, but a bright new moon was shining above them.

"What happened to us, Haymitch?"  
"I don't know, sweetheart … maybe the war has changed too many things … I haven't heard you since the day whe – well, since _that_ day …".

In Effie's mind came up the vivid scene of the day when she left the District 12, and a shy tear run down her cheek as she reminded Haymitch's last words: come back, princess, 'cause I already miss you.

"Was it true?" she asked him while trying not to cry.

"What?" he was uncertain about what episode she was talking of.

"Did you … Did you miss me while I was in Capitol?" her voice broke a little, and she just couldn't help but starting crying.

Haymitch hugged her tight, letting her release her feeling between his strong and safe arms: "Of course, Effs. I did miss you. Actually, I spent most of the days thinking … - he stopped, unsure if it would have been better to complete the sentence or not.

"Thinking of what, Hay?"  
"Thinking of you, princess …"

She raised her eyes on him and found a sweet, lovely smile on his face.

"You are crazy, Mr Abernathy".

Finally, Effie was smiling too, and Haymitch couldn't be happier about it.

"Maybe, but I really missed you, and I couldn't look forward to meet you again to tell you that I've been such a fool when I let you leave, that I still regret that decision. I thought that it would have been better for you to live in a proper house, with people who know good manners and know nothing about how could you kill a deer using just a knife, but when you left … I just could do nothing, but thinking of you and missing you and loving you and … I feel so stupid right now …"  
"You love me?" she whispered.

"Effs, raise your voice, I can't hear you.".

"I said, do you love me?"  
"Wasn't it obvious? Of course I love you.".

He was so focused on her, that he didn't even realized what he had just said, but as soon as he did, his eyes filled with tears, and he could do nothing, but stare at the moon.

"I love you, too, Haymithch.".

She always had, since the day they started to cooperate to save Katniss and Peeta from the first arena, she felt an illogical attraction for that rude, mean man that had stolen her heart.  
"It's almost midnight … Almost time to go back to Capitol … "  
"Oh no, sweetheart, I won't do the same mistake again.".

"What do you mean, Hay?"  
"Effs, will you … will you marry me?"


End file.
